(The Center Square) – Gov. Jay Inslee this week announced the launch of a first-in-the-country electric vehicle rebate program funded through the state Department of Commerce, which is intended to encourage more car owners to transition away from gasoline vehicles. The $45 million rebate program is one of several public policies the state is pursuing as part of their ultimate goal of converting the public and private transportation sectors into EVs. One of the ongoing challenges is the higher cost for EVs compared to their gasoline counterparts. Speaking at an Aug. 1 news conference, Inslee sa…